The present invention relates to a new, novel and distinct variety of peach tree, Prunus persica which has been denominated varietally as xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99. The xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 Peach Tree produces an exceptionally high quality, peach which is mature for harvesting and shipment in the mid-season. Still further, another unique aspect of the xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 is that it yields a very firm peach that has a high eating quality as compared with the other peach varieties which ripen at approximately the same time of the season.
The present variety of peach tree resulted from an on-going program of fruit and nut tree breeding. The purpose of this program is to improve the commercial quality of deciduous fruit and nut varieties and rootstocks by creating and releasing promising selections of prunus, malus and regia species. To this end, we make both controlled and hybrid cross pollinations each year in order to produce seedling populations from which improved progenies are evaluated and selected. The seedling xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 was originated by us in 1994, and was chosen from among a population of seedlings which resulted from a controlled cross pollination of the xe2x80x98Grand Diamondxe2x80x99 Nectarine Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,095), which was used as the pollen parent, and the xe2x80x98July Ladyxe2x80x99 Peach Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,023), which was used as the seed parent. The resulting seed from this cross was planted in the spring of 1995. The new variety was selected from among seedlings growing in experimental orchards near the city of Fowler, Calif., County of Fresno, in the Central San Joaquin Valley. The Peach Tree xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 was subsequently marked and noted as having exceptional characteristics. After the 1996 season, the Peach Tree xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 was selected for advanced evaluation and repropagation. It has been subsequently evaluated during the 1996-1999 fruiting seasons.
Scionwood from the original seedling of the Peach Tree, xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 was collected and grafted in the evaluation plot in the experimental orchard previously described onto two different and existing xe2x80x98Nemaredxe2x80x99 (unpatented) rootstocks in February of 1997. The resulting propagation (fruit and scion) have been subsequently evaluated in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. These evaluations clearly demonstrated that the repropagated trees are true to the fruiting and vegetative characteristics of the original seedling in all observable aspects.
The xe2x80x98Burpeachsixxe2x80x99 Peach Tree is characterized as to novelty by producing fruit which have a mid-season ripening date, and which are further of high quality, firm, and have an attractive exterior coloration. In this regard, the present variety of peach tree bears freestone fruit which are ripe for commercial harvesting and shipment on approximately June 18 to June 25. These harvesting dates are approximately one week later then the harvesting dates of the commercial freestone peach variety xe2x80x98Red Topxe2x80x99 Peach Tree (U.S.D.A. nonpatented). The present variety distinguishes itself from the xe2x80x98Red Topxe2x80x99 Peach Tree, however, by producing fruit having a brighter and more extensive exterior coloration, and which has a firmer flesh. Further, the Burpeachsix Peach Tree distinguishes itself from the Red Top Peach Tree in that the fruit of the Burpeachsix Peach Tree has a keeping quality after it is harvested, that is superior in relative comparison to the fruit produced by the xe2x80x98Red Topxe2x80x99 Peach Tree.